Screw the mainstream
if you really want to get your rocks off you have to go to the underground.
That's just what we plan to do with this series, take some of the best
emerging bands that are out blowing away hardcore fans on the underground
music scene.
.
Closer Than Kin
By Rachael Rearden
Closer
Than Kin - The Machineries Of Breath
Label: Punktuation
Records
Having finished the Death By Stereo Summer
Tour last month, Closer Than Kin seem to be hitting the big time across
the west coast, promoting their debut full length ‘The Machineries Of Breath’.
But what will a cynical lass from across the sea’s reckon?! Give us your
worst CTK….
First track ‘The Euphoria of Strangulation’
holds dear its metalcore vocals, (and cringe worthy backing vox), speedy
punk rock rhythm and hardcore guitar riffs and mini solo.
‘3 Words and 3,000 Tears’ starts with an
upbeat hardcore intro and an enthusiastic snare rolling beat. This promising
start however, is rudely interrupted by a vocalist, curiously only known
as ‘Nick’.
So why keep your full name a secret…Hmm
I imagine to prevent being hunted down and shot for the fucking mess made
of the vocals on this track.
I’m all for my hardcore/metal/emo/punk
or whatever the fuck you wanna class this band as, (word on the street
is that they ‘defy’ all genres). But with Nicks much underdeveloped Satyricon
sounding vocals (like listening to your pops hocking up phlegm in the morning)
matched with backing vocals, a la the rest of the band, that show as much
melody as a menopausal cat on Prozac, these songsters let the side down
on ‘3 Words and 3,000 Tears’.
‘The Uncertainty Of Sanity’ is the biggest
shock to the system as CTK mellow the fuck out through this eerie acoustic,
complete with vocals with an aura of impressionable tenderness. Just don’t
consciously listen to the lyrics on this mini track, or you’ll find their
content matches up with the majority of the others on this debut – that
of heartbreak and misery. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much done
with listening to depressing stories, hey – if your life that’s bad why
make it worse by listening to someone else’s problems? God only knows I’m
more interested in the literal meaning of ‘The Euphoria of Strangulation’,
after listening to such mind-numbingly boring, unoriginal lyrics.
‘A Closing Chapter’, almost merges from
‘The Uncertainty Of Sanity’ with its deceiving acoustic softness and deadpanned
vocals, pummelled over by crashes of cymbals, a stupidly fast hypersonic
punk rock beat, and listen able (!) screamo-core gut-wrenching wails. One
motherfucker of a hardcore track.
As the previous, ‘Take The Green Line To
Heart Break’ braggs a punk/hardcore tempo that wont fail to get you beat
rockin’ along. Perhaps even throwin’ the odd devil horn along the way.
And the integral sound is enough to be able to dismiss the groaningly contradictive
line “so sick of writing songs with you in mind”.
Posted by Javo:
CTK is a Killer Metal punk hardcore mix
....Musically They´re one of the most dinamic bands i´ve heard in my life
CTK rulz....
Posted by Sara:
i love Closer than Kin... their Dead Flowers for a dieing lover.. is the best song i've ever heard
Posted by Taylor:
i didn't like this cd to much but there old stuff like the song "stand up" and others are really really really good and you should check that out before you totally give up faith in CTK
Posted by Lenny:
Personally i think that Closer Than Kin is pretty much the best underground band there is. i saw them play at the knights of columbus in Rochester NH and they completely stole the show, they even upstaged the miksfits when they later played with them. The CD rules and they need to come back to Rochester and play with my band, which would rule all.
Posted by Duke:
Ok, Closer Than Kin is a live band. Their music doesn't translate well onto CD, but their live show is awesome. I've played with them before at a local venue, and having heard them live and listened to their recordings, I totally understand why anyone might not like the CD. But nick's vocals are absolutely perfect for a live performance. these guys drop a vibe on stage that you can't help but dig into when you're in the crowd and the vocals are pumping at a few thousand watts along with everything else. Powerful stuff
Posted by corey:
you all f^ckin suck. closer than kin is one of the best bands ive ever heard, get your hardcore noses out of your boyfriends a$$holes and listen up. even the idea of creating a site called anti-music is the worst idea ive ever heard, open your f^ckin eyes
Posted by wiojdjo:
there more off a knock off of the band Himsa
a mixture of complete punk cr*p and hardcore smashing rhytms
Posted by naysay:
The music is confused, the style is a memory they should get over their sh-- and come back in 7 years.
Posted by Pegleg22:
They're horrible. antiMusic should get a professional Correspondent.
